This invention relates to dental prophylactic (prophy) angle handpieces, prophy cups, and prophy polish for professional cleaning of teeth.
Rotating prophy cups are generally used to carry and apply prophy paste to the teeth. The prophy paste is comprised of an abrasive, a binder, and a liquefying agent which is used to create a flow of the paste. The prophy cup functions by carrying the prophy paste to the surface of the teeth and the cup material polishes all surfaces of the teeth, including subgingival and interproximal surfaces. Typically the prophy cup picks up the paste by dipping the cup in a reservoir of paste. As the cup is rotated by the prophy angle, the prophy paste exits the cavity and is applied to the tooth. The paste acts as both a lubricant and an abrasive.
Due to the centrifugal rotation of the prophy cup the pumice quickly exit exits the cup and splatters throughout the mouth and on the patient and operator, increasing the risk of cross contamination. Prophy cups have been designed in an attempt to slow down the exiting of the prophy paste. The prophy cup must be repeatedly reloaded, which is time-consuming. Prophy handpieces have been designed to deliver continuous supply prophy paste thus eliminating the need to refill the prophy cup, but do not allow the operator to quickly vary the flow of paste as needed and does not eliminate the splatter problem. A prophy handpiece named the Twist™ U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,507 has been designed to reciprocate 90 degrees rather than to rotate. The Twist™ claims to produce faster prophys, and no tearing or cutting of soft tissue and no frictional heat. The Twist™ represents a reasonable attempt to control splatter, but the reciprocating motion is not as efficient as the rotary motion at polishing teeth and does not deliver a continuous supply of prophy paste.